Bihar paper leak case: NDA demands sacking of ministers

Legislators of BJP and its NDA partners trooped into the well in the state Assembly as well the Legislative Council demanding resignation of the two ministers.

Patna, Mar 18: Opposition NDA in both Houses of Bihar Legislature on Saturday demanded resignation of two state ministers in the wake of their names appearing in the police probe into the Bihar State Staff Selection Commission paper leak incident.

According to media reports, the Special Investigation Team has submitted a report to the Special Vigilance court in which names of two ministers -- Krishnandan Prasad Varma and Alok Mehta -- have appeared among others on the basis of call details of arrested Secretary of Bihar State Staff Selection Commission, Parmeshwar Ram.

While Varma is from JD(U) and is the Law and Public Health Engineering Department minister in the Nitish Kumar Cabinet, Alok Mehta of RJD is the Cooperative Minister. Besides them, names of former MP and RJD leader Raghubansh Prasad Singh, JD(U) MLA Ram Balak Singh and BJP MLA Suresh Kumar Sharma have appeared in the scam, the reports said.

Legislators of BJP and its NDA partners trooped into the well in the state Assembly as well the Legislative Council demanding resignation of the two ministers. BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters that the ministers concerned should be removed immediately. He further alleged that OSD of Health minister Tej Pratap Yadav had given three to four instructions over the phone to the Commission officials in the recruitment of ANM conducted by BSSC earlier.

"If a minister telephones any official or sends recommendation it is taken as order of the government," he charged.

His party colleague and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Prem Kumar said, "The Chief Minister had ignored the opposition protest in the BSSC paper leak matter earlier, asking them to reveal names of ministers in the scam ... now the names are out. Why is he not sacking the two ministers?".

In the eye of storm, the state Law minister told reporters, "It is the routine work for MLAs or MPs to fulfill expectations of voters of their constituency. There is no evidence of exchange of money in 2-3 recommendations sent by my staff to BSSC Secretary...I did not ask him to leak the question paper or get a non-meritorious candidate clear the exam."

"If you examine closely, all MLAs or MPs of a party send words to officials in favour of some needy people of their constituency," Varma said in his defence.

On the NDA's demand for a CBI probe into the matter, the Bihar minister said the opposition was doing it for political gains. Mehta also made similar pleas, saying it was normal for a public representative to help few needy people of their constituency.

PTI